Device for dispensing aerated liquids



Feb. 15, 1938. E. J. JOFEH ET AL DEVICE FOR DISPENSING AERATED LIQUIDS Filed Aug. 28 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 15, 1938. J JOFEH ET AL 2,108,169

' DEVICE FOR DISPENSING AERATED LI UID Filed Aug. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-She et 2 CJI Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES hATNT i i DEVICE FOR DISPENSING AERATED LIQUIDS Application August 28,

1935, Serial N0. 38,179

In Great Britain October 10, 1934 8 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for dispensing aerated liquids, particularly lager and other highly carbonated beers and stout.

A device in accordance with the present invention comprises a container, a liquid supply pipe in constant communication with the interior of the container, a relief passage communicating with the upper part of the container, a delivery passage communicating with the lower part of the container, and manually operable means for controlling the relief and delivery passages. Pref-- erably there is also provided a pressure supply passage communicating with the upper part of the container which can be opened by manually operated means either when the delivery passage is open (so as to accelerate the delivery of liquid) or when the delivery passage is closed (so as to return the liquid through the supply pipe). Both the relief passage and the pressure supply passage may be provided with spring controlled valves, the pressure of the springs being preferably adjustable. The manually operable means for controlling all the above mentioned passages are preferably constituted by a single multipleposition valve. Means may also be provided for connecting the liquid supply pipe either to a supply of the liquid to be dispensed or to a supply of water or other flushing liquid, whereby the container and its associated passages may easily be cleaned.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show a preferred form of the dispensing device. In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional side view of the device; Figure 2 is a sectional plan View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the valve casting; Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 8-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a side view of a plug valve; Figures 6 to 10 are diagrammatic views of the plug valve in its several positions; and Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on one side of the longitudinal axis of the container to show the pressure supply passage.

Ihe device illustrated comprises a container formed by a glass cylinder I closed at the ends by metal plates 2 and 3, rubber washers being inserted between the cylinder and the end plates. A metal rod 4 secured in the lower plate 3 passes through the cylinder and through an aperture in the top plate 2 and has a nut 5 threaded, onto its upper end, so that the end plates can be drawn firmly against the ends of the cylinder. The lower plate 3 is formed with an inlet passage 6 to which a liquid supply pipe 7 is connected. Also formed in the lower plate is an outlet passage ii, the outer end of which communicates with a downwardly sloping passage 9 in a separate casting (see Figures 3 and i). bolted on to the lower plate. This passage 9 is controlled by a manually rotatable plug valve (see Figure 5) of conical form, the lower end of which forms a delivery spout H3, and which is rotatably mounted in a conical seating formed in the valve casting. Also formed in the lower plate are two passages H and I 2 whose inner ends are connected respectively to tubes 83 and it rising to within a short distance of the top of the container while the outer ends of the passages H and I2 are connected to passages iii and H5 in the valve casting. Below the passage 15 is formed a passage ll adapted to be connected to a source of carbon dioxide or other gas under pressure through a'pipe (21, Figure 11, and provided with an adjustably spring influenced valve i8. The passages t5 and IT are formed with two pairs of superimposed ports i5), 26 and 2|, 22.

Ihe passage i6 is provided with an adjustably spring influenced valve similar to the valve iii in the passage ll. Below the passage I5 is a passage 23 open to the atmosphere and these two latter passages are provided with one pair of superimposed ports 24, 25. The valve plug (see Figure 5) is formed in its upper part with three recesses 26, 27, 28 and in its central part with a radial passage 29 adapted to connect the passage 9 to the delivery spout E6. The plug valve is also formed with a vent 30 which connects the upper end of the delivery spout id to the atmos- Dhere.

The manually operated plug valve has five operating positions which are shown diagrammatically in Figures 6 to 10. These figures may be regarded as plan views of the valve seating, the positions of the recesses and passages in the valve plug being indicated in broken lines. one position of the valve, illustrated in Figure 6, all the passages which it controls are closed; as the liquid supply pipe is in constant communication with the interior of the container, the carbonated liquid flows into the container until the pressure within it balances the pressure of the supply. In a second position, illustrated in Figure 7, the recess 23 connects the ports 24, so that the interior of the container is connected to the atmosphere through the spring influenced relief valve: the pressure within the container is thus reduced to a level dependent on the setting of the spring influenced valve and inter= mediate the pressure of the liquid supply and the pressure of the atmosphere, so that a partial alecompression of the carbonated liquid is efiected. In a third position, shown in Figure 8, the decompression passage remains open and the outlet passage 9 is connected through the passage 29 to the delivery spout; the liquid thus flows continuously from the supply pipe, through the container, out of the delivery spout, the pressure being reduced in two stages since the pressure within the container is intermediate the pressure of the liquid supply and the pressure of the atmosphere. In a fourth position, shown in Figure 9, the decompression and delivery passages remain open and the recess 26 connects the ports 2!, 22 so that the pressure supply passage I1 is connected through the spring influenced valve I8 to the interior of the container: the rate of flow of the liquid is thus increased to an extent dependent on the setting of the valve I 8. In the fifth position of the plug valve, shown in Figure 10, the decompression and delivery passages are closed, but the pressure supply passage is connected through ports I9, 2!] and recess 21 to the interior of the container: the liquid in the container is thus forced back down the supply pipe. When the device is used for dispensing beers this fifth position of the valve may be used to prevent beer from becoming warm through standing for a long period in the container. It may also be used to empty the container for cleaning purposes.

In order to allow of easy cleaning of the device, the liquid supply pipe I is connected to a cock 3| adapted to connect the pipe 1 either to a pipe 32 supplying the liquid to be dispensed or to a pipe 33 supplying water or other flushing liquid. The procedure to be adopted for flushing out the device will be clear from the foregoing explanation of the operation of the main control valve.

The device described is extremely simple in construction and operation and can very easily be disassembled for the repair or replacement of any damaged or Worn parts; in particular the control valve casting can readily be removed as a whole and replaced by a new valve without any disturbance of the liquid supply system. The device allows of the delivery of the aerated liquid either intermittently or continuously as required. The liquid is delivered in ideal condition, robbing, being reduced to a minimum. The delivery device (and any cooler coils or other apparatus through which the aerated liquid passes) can easily be emptied at any time for cleaning or other purposes; such return causes no disturbance in the barrel or other storage container for the liquid since the top pressure in the barrel is balanced by the pressure applied to the container of the dispensingdevice and the liquid flows back into the storage container by gravity. Devices in accordance with the invention are capable of handling liquids of varied specific gravities and viscosities both safely and efiiciently.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for dispensing aerated liquids comprising a container, a supply pipe for liquid under pressure in communication with the lower part of said container, a gas outlet passage connecting the upper part of said container to the atmosphere, a spring controlled valve in said gas outlet passage for limiting the fall of pressure in said container, a liquid outlet passage communicating with the lower part of said container, a control valve normally closing said gas outlet passage and said liquid outlet passage, and means for operating said control valve to maintain said gas and liquid outlet passages. simultaneously open.

2. A device for dispensing aerated liquids comprising a container, a supply pipe for liquid under pressure in communication with the lower part of said container, at liquid delivery passage communicating with the lower part of said container, a supply passage for gas under pressure communicating with the upper part of said container, and valve means for the liquid delivery and gas supply passages arranged to open the gas supply passage subsequently to the opening of the liquid delivery passage.

3. In a device for dispensing aerated liquids, a container having at the bottom thereof a liquid supply inlet and a liquid discharge outlet, a casing mounted on the container in communication with the liquid discharge outlet, a pair of passages in communication with the upper part of the container and having ports leading to the interior of the casing, a second pair of passages in said casing having ports leading to the interior of the casing, one passage of said second pair of passages opening to the atmosphere and the other passage of said second pair of passages being connected to a source of gas under pressure, and a plug valve rotatably mounted in the casing having a central bore terminating in a delivery spout extending below the casing, said valve being arranged with a series of recesses in the outer periphery thereof adapted to be successively positioned relative to the ports of the both pairs of passages to connect the passages of the first pair of passages with the passages of the second pair of passages, and a passage leading from the outer periphery to the bore of the plug valve adapted to be positioned in communication with the liquid discharge outlet.

4. A device for dispensing aerated liquids as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper end of the bore of the plug valve is arranged with a vent opening to the atmosphere.

5. A device for dispensing aerated liquids as claimed in claim 3, wherein the recesses and passage of the plug valve are arranged therein so that when the plug valve is actuated in one direction from the normal closing position thereof, the passage opening to the atmosphere is first connected to a passage of the first pair of passages and thereby to the upper part of the container, then the liquid discharge outlet is opened to the bore of the plug valve while the upper part of the container remains in communication with the atmosphere, and then the passage con-- nected to a source of gas under pressure is connected to the other passage of the first pair of passages and therethrough to the upper part of the container while the upper part of the container is open to the atmosphere and the liquid discharge outlet is in communication with the delivery spout.

6. A device for dispensing aerated liquids as claimed in claim 3, wherein the recesses and passage of the plug valve are arranged therein so that when the plug valve is actuated in one direction from the normal closing position there of, the passage of the second pair of passages opening to the atmosphere is first connected to a passage of the first pair of passages and the upper part of the container, then the liquid discharge outlet is opened to the bore of the plug valve while the upper part of the container remains open to the atmosphere, then the passage connected to a source of gas under pressure is connected to the other passage of the first pair of passages and to the upper part of the container while the upper part of the container is open to the atmosphere and the liquid discharge outlet is in communication with the delivery spout, and then the passage opening to the atmosphere is closed from the first named passage of the first pair and from the upper part of the container, and finally said communication between the discharge outlet and the plug valve is broken, while the passage connected to a source of gas under pressure remains in communication with the upper part of the container.

'7. A device for dispensing aerated liquids comprising a container, a supply pipe for liquid under pressure in open communication with the lower part of said containena liquid delivery passage communicating with the lower part of said container, a supply passage for gas under pressure communicating with the upper part of said container, and valve means for opening either the liquidv delivery passage or gas inlet passage to discharge the liquid from the container either through the liquid delivery passage or through the liquid supply pipe.

8. A device for dispensing aerated liquids comprising a container, a supply pipe for liquid under pressure in communication with the lower part of said container, a gas outlet passage connecting the upper part of said container to the atmosphere, a liquid outlet passage communicating with the lower part of said container, a valve normally closing said gas outlet passage and said liquid outlet passage, means for operating said valve to maintain both of said passages simultaneously open, and means in said gas outlet passage for limiting the flow of gas therethrough and maintaining the pressure in said container intermediate the pressure in said supply pipe and the pressure of the atmosphere.

EDGAR; JOHN J OFEH. JACQUES GREGOIRE TRILLING. 

